Beaver Lake, Arkansas is a 44 square mile lake with a twisting, turning coastline among the Ozark mountains in Northwest Arkansas. The length of the coastline is measured to be 487 miles. The dam was built in Carroll County Arkansas between 1960 - 1966 for approximately $60 million. The dam lays across the 722 mile-long White River, which reaches from the Ozarks to the Mississippi delta.
The dam construction was authorized in 1944 by the U.S. Congress as part of an effort to control flood damage caused by the White River overflowing its banks during flood season.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Beaver Lake, also has constructed 12 public parks around the Lake for the use of tourists and locals. There are many public access boating and swimming areas around the lake. More than 3 million visitors are estimated to use the lake each year.
Beaver Lake spreads across four Northwest Arkansas counties: Madison County, Washington County, Benton County and Carroll County.
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